The Path Laid Before You
by Jedipati
Summary: Sequel to "His Father's Son" Five years after their defeat at Yavin, the rebels begin to fight again. AU


The Path Laid Before You: sequel to "His Father's Son"  
  
Five years. It had been five years since his life had completely been turned upside down. Luke Skywalker walked along the street in a bad part of the Smuggler's Moon. As he walked along he thought about the way his life had been. He had truly been weak then. I was just a simple farmboy, a nobody without any idea what I could do. Luke knew he still looked like that innocent farmboy, but nothing else about him was the same. Luke supposed he looked an easy target, which was why the small gang attacked him. He knew they were watching him, but he wasn't worried. With the Force, I will have no problems with these low-life. They surrounded him and then moved in for the kill. Luke was unsure if they would just try to steal his credit pouch or kill him, and could care less. He acted like he didn't see them, as if they weren't there. Until the leader, a Bothan pushed him into the nearby wall. "All right, boy, just give us your credits and no one gets hurt." Luke just smiled; they had picked the wrong target. "No, I don't think so." The Bothan, along with the other members of the gang, a mishmash of beings which included two human males, a Yuzzem, three Rodians, and one of a species Luke had never seen before, looked surprised. "Do I have to say it louder? You hand over your money or you get hurt." "No. I will not hand anything over and you will be the ones getting hurt." Luke noticed that beyond the gang the other people were ignoring the spectacle of a seemingly harmless boy apparently not intimidated by a tough looking street gang. Luke brought his focus back to the gang. "Xern, take him down." The leader ordered. One of the humans brought a blaster up to point at Luke and fired. By all rights, it should have hit him in the heart; he should have been dead. Instead, Luke just held his hand up and the blaster bolt spattered harmlessly off. The people behind the gang were suddenly interested in what was happening. The gang was stunned for a brief second, all the time Luke needed. He jumped up in the air, using the Force to give him the height he needed, pushed against the wall with his feet, and flipped over the heads of the gang members around him. He landed facing the gang members and ignited his green lightsaber. The yuzzem in the gang turned around the quickest and brought a modified BlasTech DL-44 to bear on Luke. A gun that was quickly smoldering on the ground, along with its owner. Two of the Rodians where next, firing within a second of each other. They were too slow; Luke deflected the bolts with ease. He was drawing a crowd now. He could see several being just watching. Well, he'd give them a show, along with teaching the scum a lesson. The Rodians waited for a few seconds for the Bothan and the other Rodian to join them. They all fired and again Luke deflected the bolts, this time hitting one of the humans and the strange alien. That leaves five more. Luke thought. Let's finish this. He stepped forward and sliced through one of the Rodians. He stepped up to the Bothan and brought the tip of his lightsaber under his chin. "I suggest you give it up, scum." His voice was cold and he knew that he no longer looked like an easy target. He didn't expect the Bothan to be reasonable; he got what he expected. The two Rodians tried to jump him from opposite sides. He ducked under and came up in front of the last human. Luke didn't hesitate and his blade bit into the man's chest. That left the two Rodians and the Bothan. Quickly, before they could react, Luke grabbed the Rodians with the Force and threw them in different directions. The Bothan watched them go and then realized that Luke had his saber under his chin again. "I told you I wouldn't give you anything." "No, its, I." Luke took pleasure in watching the Bothan stammer and try to find his way out of his predicament. "No excuses, scum. You should have picked a different target." As he said this Luke slashed downward with his saber and the Bothan died. Luke turned to the crowd that had gathered. "Anyone else?" He called out. No one seemed interested in answering. He pulled up the hood of his black cloak, which had fallen down during his brief fight. As he did, he saw a wookie staring at him, a very familiar wookie as a matter of fact. Luke grimaced. No one was supposed to know he was alive. Everyone back on Tatooine thought he had been killed during the Imperial attack on his uncle's farm. All the rebels that had met him at Yavin had died when the Death Star had destroyed that planet. There was only two, possibly three beings who might think he was alive, but they had seen him being pulled into the Death Star and had probably assumed the people in charge there had killed him. Until now. The wookie was Chewbacca, first mate of the Millennium Falcon. He and Han Solo might end up being a problem. The third was Wedge Antilles, a rebel pilot who might have escaped from Yavin, but no one was sure. He turned around to go, and when the wookie had left, started tailing Chewbacca. He hoped the wookie would just think it was a chance resemblance. Sure, and banthas can fly.  
  
Chewbacca couldn't believe what he had seen. Luke Skywalker had just taken out several members of one of the toughest gangs on Nar Shaddaa. Chewie had thought that the young man had been killed by the Imperials five years ago. Plus, the lightsaber he'd had was a different color from the one he had before. Chewie hurried over to the bar he had just left, where Han Solo currently was. He came up to his honor brother and saw that he was with Shug Ninx, a friend of the two of them. 'Han, I just saw Luke Skywalker take out Rix's gang.' "What? How could you have? I thought he was dead." Ninx was looking back and forth between the two of them, confused. "Who did you see? Who's supposed to be dead?" Han and Chewie exchanged glances but before they could speak, a voice came from behind the wookie. "Me." All three jumped as a man stepped around from behind the wookie, his hood up. "You should watch your back sometimes, Chewbacca." He informed Chewie. Han looked at him oddly. "Luke?" He asked, his voice tentative, unsure if it was really Luke. Luke lowered his hood, and nodded. "It's me, Han." His voice was soft, yet there was an odd coldness to it. He sat down next to the Corellian. "What happened? I thought you had been killed by the Imperials." "In a way, I was. Who's your friend?" Luke wasn't giving them any answers. "I'm Shug Ninx." "Luke Skywalker." "So what happened, Luke?" "When you find your entire life has been a lie, you tend to change your mind about many things." 'What does that mean?' "Precisely what I said." "You don't want to talk about it, kid?" Han asked. Luke shook his head, knowing he had to keep the three of them from telling anyone about him. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry, Han." "I can understand not wanting to talk about being an Imperial prisoner." Ninx responded. "I need to go, I'm in a hurry." Luke said, getting up. "You can't stay for a while?" Han asked, curious as to how this man had escaped from the Imperials. "No, I'm afraid not. I have somewhere important to be." "I understand. Do you think we might run into you again?" "Count on it." With that Luke got up and made his way to the door of the bar. He left and turned the corner into a small alcove where he wouldn't be disturbed. Focusing, he reached out to the three still sitting at the table. Reaching into their minds, he erased their memories of the past few minutes, along with Chewbacca's memories of the fight. He scanned their minds and relaxed. They wouldn't remember the meeting. With that settled, he headed to his ship, his mission was over and he had to report to his master.  
  
Luke made it to his ship without further problems. He entered the small ship. Small, perhaps, but also fast, well armed, and shielded. He got it into space and relaxed slightly. His mission was done, now all he had to do was get to Imperial Center soon. He set the ship on autopilot and left the cockpit. Luke moved to the communication room in the back of the ship. Stepping down into the transmitting circle, he waited for the response. A minute later a form took shape in the air in front of him. Luke kneeled immediately. "Did your mission go well?" The Emperor asked him. "Yes, master." "You are late. Did you have any problems?" "A street gang chose the wrong target. Nothing I couldn't handle." "Good. I want you to head over to the Ord Mantell system and rendezvous with the Executor. I have an important mission for you." "Yes, my master." The Emperor cut off the transmission. Luke moved to the cockpit, it seemed he would see his father much sooner then he had thought.  
  
On board the Executor, Darth Vader waited. The Emperor had some important mission for them, but he wouldn't say what it was until Luke arrived. He knew that his son would be arriving within the next five minutes, but as it had been noted before, patience was not one of his stronger virtues. "My Lord, a small ship has come out of hyperspace and is requesting permission to dock." "Do they have the proper clearances?" "They have high level clearances." "They why haven't you allowed them to dock?" "We have, my Lord. The pilot wishes to speak with you once he is on board." "Very well, I will go and meet him." The Admiral watched him go; knowing that whoever was in that ship must be important if the Dark Lord would meet them.  
  
Luke walked down the ramp of his ship and walked over to where his father stood. There was no one else in the bay, because Luke was still very much a secret. "Father." Luke greeted. "Do you know what this mission is?" "The Emperor wanted to wait until you were on board before telling me." Luke nodded, understanding his father's impatience. Vader turned around and led the way back to the bridge. There, the admiral was surprised at the young man, wearing a dark jumpsuit, who followed Vader. He glanced at Luke, slightly confused. That is, until Luke met the other's gaze. Then the admiral was simply frightened. The boy was dark and the admiral could feel the dark power radiating from him as it did from Vader. He quickly looked away, but not before he saw the slight, knowing smile on the boy's face. "My Lord, the Emperor has sent a message for your eyes and for the eyes of Luke Skywalker." "Very well." Vader took the datapad and gestured for the boy to follow him off the bridge. The admiral watched them go, no longer confused, but still curious. The boy had seemed so familiar somehow, though he knew they had never met before. Quickly, the admiral moved to a console and imputed the name 'Luke Skywalker.' The computer took a few minutes to respond. When it did, the entry was code blocked, requiring the admiral to input his code. Once he had, the entry came up. It was startlingly short. It mentioned that the boy had been born and raised on Tatooine, and had once been a rebel. However the entry went on to state that he had changed his mind about the government, once he saw the lies that his guardians had told him about the Empire. The final bit of information startled the Admiral so much that he gasped. The boy was one of Palpatine's top agents. Quickly, he exited the entry and did his best to bury the transaction.  
  
Luke turned to his father after reading the information on the datacard. *This is going to be interesting. * He thought, before handing the card back to his father. Vader took it and then entered the code to scramble the data. Then he turned to the com system. "Admiral, set course for Bothawui." He ordered. "Yes, M' Lord." Vader shut off the com and turned to his son. "As you can see, we must force the Bothan Spy net to join with Imperial Intelligence. This will not be easy, but it may be possible through the Bothan political customs." Luke nodded. "I've heard of one Bothan, a Borsk Fey'lya, who should be easily manipulated. He's the typical Bothan politician, greedy and manipulative." "He may be our first target. However, it would be wise if we also spoke to the spymasters themselves." "Of course." Luke said. They continued their planning for several hours before finally completing the plans. It would take time, but the Bothan spy net would belong to the empire. When they were done, Luke headed to his ship, where his quarters were. As he left, Vader smiled behind his mask. His son had changed from the farm boy he had been raised to be. He had found his son when the Death Star had destroyed Yavin 4. Luke had been a rebel pilot in that battle. Vader had no doubts that, if his X-wing hadn't malfunctioned, Luke would have destroyed the Death Star. Instead, the Death Star had destroyed Yavin, and Luke's X-wing was brought into the Death Star. There, Vader had discovered his son, and then brought the young man to Palpatine. Both of them had been amazed at Luke's potential and had decided that it was worth the risk of breaking the oldest rule of the Sith to train him. So far, that risk seemed to have paid off. Luke was loyal and well trained. The boy was also amazingly inventive; as was shown by the plan they had made up. In fact, Vader had privately thought that Luke was nearly done with his training, and would soon take his place at his father's side, serving the Emperor. Vader again smiled, his son was truly worthy to be a Sith.  
  
The rebel leader on Bothawui turned around to face her desk. Contrary to what the Imperials believed, the rebellion had not died at Yavin. It had been severely injured, but not killed. She had not been as highly placed as she was now, but when the Death Star had destroyed Mon Calimari she had been moved up to a high position in the Alliance and they were finally recovered enough to strike at the Empire. She was concerned, however, about the reports of a new agent of the Emperor. There was not much known about him, but it was believed that the agent was a human male. She sighed, realizing that she had to get back to work. She turned to the datapads and started reading the latest intelligence reports. A second later she sat up straight in shock. The reports stated that the Executor was leading a small taskforce to Bothawui. She knew that with Darth Vader here, they would have to be very careful. What she didn't know was that Vader's son would also be there, and would also have to be watched.  
  
Luke sat up in his bed on his ship. For a second there, he had felt a strong wave of shock coming from somewhere. Reaching out, he tried to trace the source, but could only narrow it down to Bothawui. Lying back down, he wondered who could have sent such a powerful feeling. Whoever it was the person had to have been extremely strong in the Force. Luke felt the change in the engines as the Executor jumped out of hyperspace and got up. He would be needed soon and it was almost time to get up anyway. He had the oddest feeling that this was going to be an unusual day. He smiled; his days had been unusual for five years.  
  
The rebel leader turned to the window of her office. As she sat there, just looking at the buildings and people hurrying nearby, she thought of something she rarely contemplated. It had taken place five years ago. The Death Star had destroyed Alderaan, just as a test. Leia let the tears slip down her face, not just for Alderaan, but for all the countless friends she had lost. She thought about the young farmboy that had saved her from the Death Star. He was dead, there was no way he could have survived, being pulled into the Death Star and made a prisoner as she had been. Because he had no useful information, the Imperials had probably killed him within a few days. Somehow, Leia couldn't help but believe that this wasn't the case. It was foolish, she knew, but Luke Skywalker had impacted her life a lot and she wanted to believe that she would know when he was dead. The door to her office opened and Winter, her good friend and aide, stepped through. "Princess, a woman is here and says she must see you." "Send her in." Leia responded. A second later, a petite woman in her late forties or early fifties walked in. She had brown hair and eyes and Leia was shocked to see her. "Mother?" Leia breathed in shock. "Leia." The woman said, overwhelmed. "Mother!" Leia again said and got up and crossed the room and hugged her. "I thought you." "I had died?" At Leia's nod, the woman went on. "I had been captured by the Emperor and taken to a prison in the core of Naboo. I only recently was able to escape." Leia wanted to only hug her mother, not caring about anything else. Finally, she had to let go. "Mother, there are so many things I want to ask you, but I don't know where to start." "Don't worry about it. I'm sure we will have plenty of time for everything." "I never found out your entire name, Mother. All anyone ever called you was Padme." "That is my name. Padme Naberrie." "Oh. Why were you captured by the Emperor?" "I was a traitor and he wanted to torment me for trying to stop him." All Leia could think of to say was "Oh." Leia looked at her mother and smiled. "I'm glad you're here, Mother. I need help to continue the fight." "I'm always willing to help, but first, I need you to summarize what has happened in the past few years." "Of course." Leia launched into a comprehensive summary of the recent history of the Rebellion. ".then my cell door opened and I found myself staring at a short stromtrooper. He said his name was Luke Skywalker." Padme gasped is shock. "What is it?" "Nothing. I should have known you would find each other. Go on." "Well, he and another man, Han Solo, along with a wookie, staged a jailbreak and got me out of there. On our way out, however, Darth Vader killed Obi-Wan Kenobi. We made it back to our Yavin base and tried to attack the Death Star. Luke took part in the attack. However, it failed. I barely escaped before the Death Star blew up the moon. I was severely injured, however." "What happened to Luke Skywalker?" Leia gave her mother an odd look, then shrugged. "He was captured by the Death Star. Many of us believe that he was killed within the first few days after his capture." At this Padme sank back in her seat with a moan. "What's wrong?" Padme spoke in barely a whisper. "I knew his father. I don't doubt that Anakin Skywalker would have hated to see his son killed by the empire." "I don't understand it, and I've never told anyone about it, but I felt a strange connection with him, and I like to think that I would know if he had died." "You don't think he's dead?" Padme asked. "I know he should be dead, but something deep inside of me keeps saying he's alive." "Then he's alive. Maybe he only lives in your memories, but he lives."  
  
Luke was dressed in clothes common on Bothawui. Since he didn't want to appear as part of the Imperial force, they were civilian clothes, in dark green. He brought his ship down on the landing pad assigned to him. As he did so, he clenched his teeth. If only those inept controllers knew who I was, they wouldn't have kept me waiting. They would have kept him waiting for far longer if Luke hadn't used the Force to get them to grant him clearance to land. He finished shutting down and armed the alarm and anti- theft devices. Then he exited his ship and headed down the street. No one would recognize him and he would have no trouble reaching his destination. Even as he thought about it, his sub-conscious told him that it wouldn't be so easy. He shook his head, hoping that it was just his imagination.  
  
Leia and her mother walked along the streets, just taking in the sights. All manners of beings were in the market place. Leia saw Bothans, of course, humans, a few wookies, and numberless other beings. The two of them talked about light subjects, people they had both known, places they had visited. Leia was finally starting to relax when she saw someone she never expected to see. The man had his back to her, was dressed in dark green instead of the white she had seen on him last, and had his back to them, but Leia was sure she recognized him. Unless she was mistaken, that man was Luke Skywalker. She frowned, and then turned around, but not before she noticed that Skywalker was turning around.  
  
Luke frowned; the woman he had glimpsed looked a lot like Princess Leia. She had been dressed in brown working clothes, but he was sure it was Leia. But hadn't she been on Yavin? He turned back around, wondering at the situation.  
  
Leia turned the corner and then pulled out her comlink. Her mother looked at her in confusion, but didn't say anything. "Wedge, you there?" Wedge Antilles responded immediately. "Right here, Princess." "There's a man approaching the base from the marketplace. Medium height, dark blond hair, wearing a dark green jumpsuit. I want you and Griv to try and get a holo of him." "Got it. He's on foot, right?" "Right." Leia turned to her mother, who was staring at her in confusion. "It's just a hunch and I want it proved before I say anything." Leia told her mother. "Whatever you say, Leia." Padme responded, smiling slightly. They wandered around the marketplace for a while longer before heading back to the rebel base. Wedge met them at the door. "Princess, I think you would want to see this." "Let's go then." "The man came by, but we couldn't see his face. Griv followed him and tried to get in front of him. However, he turned around as if he knew he was being watched. Then we got this picture." They arrived at a small room with a holo projector and Wedge activated it. The holo blazed to life. It was of a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. He was frowning, as if he knew something was wrong. Padme looked at him and moaned. "That's Luke isn't it?" She asked. "Yes it is." Leia responded. Though holos were notoriously bad at capturing even a hint of someone's personality, Leia could tell that he had changed from the farmboy she had met. There was something about him, the way he held his head or perhaps the expression on his face, which told her Luke had changed. "What I don't understand is why he hasn't tried to contact the Alliance." "Perhaps he thought that the Alliance had died. Or maybe he just got out of prison." Wedge suggested. "That's possible." Leia conceded, but even as she said it, she knew it was wrong. "That means we need to keep an eye on him. To see if we can recruit him." "We lost sight of him once we got the holo, but we may be able to find him when he heads to the spaceport." "Good. We need all the help we can get, and he's a good pilot."  
  
Luke returned to his ship from a different route. He had been the unknown backup for his father's meeting with one of the Bothan spymasters. The meeting had gone well, at least it appeared to go well, but Vader had felt that the spymaster was lying about something. Luke wondered what it was. As he came to his ship, he realized that someone was tailing him. Pretending nothing was wrong, Luke ducked into the shop next to him. He appeared to be looking at the displays, but he was actually watching the street. His tail came into view, he was tall with brown hair and eyes and was dressed in a comfortable black jumpsuit. Luke didn't recognize him, but that didn't matter. Luke probed his mind, and found that he was a master at tailing someone. Luke already knew that, but he also knew that that experience obviously didn't apply to Sith. Probing deeper, Luke got a shock. It seemed he was with the rebel alliance. Luke had thought the rebel alliance was dead. For that matter, so did everyone else in the galaxy. Quickly, Luke discovered the location of the base on Bothawui. Then, using the Force to make it seem as if he was older and had dark hair and eyes, he left the shop. He headed for his ship, all the while wondering how the Rebel Alliance had survived and hidden for five years.  
  
Luke entered his ship, and dropped his Force disguise. He had to report this to his father, soon. Opening himself up to the Force as he'd been taught, Luke reached out for his father. ~Father, the rebellion is still active. ~ ~How do you know, Luke? ~ ~A man was tailing me as I headed for my ship. I probed him and discovered the location of the rebel base. ~ ~Good. We will attack soon. ~ ~Yes, Father. I think they may want to recruit me. Should I let them, or not? ~ ~Let them, and join them. Then you can attack from the inside and confuse them. ~ ~Yes, Father. ~ Vader cut the communication, then, to allow Luke to precede with the plan. Before leaving the ship, Luke opened a small, secret, compartment. In it was a blaster and holster. While Luke didn't normally carry a blaster, it was a good thing to have to make him seem normal. Luke moved once more out of his ship, this time allowing the rebels to find him and tail him. Luke acted as if he was worried about something and headed for a nearby cantina, hoping they would contact him there.  
  
They did. He sat in the cantina for about ten minutes before a man had come and sat down at his booth with him. Luke pretended to be shocked, moving his hand down to where his blaster was. The man just smiled. "Don't worry, Skywalker, I'm not here to hurt you, I just want to talk to you." "What do you mean?" Luke asked, pretending to be wary. "I'm with a business that I believe could use your skills. Would you like to talk about it somewhere a bit more private?" "Why can't we just talk about it here?" Luke asked. "And how do you know who I am?" "We've been watching you for a day now, and I don't think it would be wise if I explained more. Would you come with me?" "Not until you explain more." Luke said, playing the part of a spacer who's been hiding for a while. "Very well. I'm a member of an organization you used to belong to, before you left because of extreme circumstances. We would like you to rejoin our organization." "I don't remember any. well there was one, but it has to be gone, out of business." "No, we're still very much in business. Would you like to come with me?" "I'm interested." Luke said. Through the bond he shared with his father, a family bond he'd been told, he felt his father's dark amusement as the alliance recruiter swallowed Luke's act. "But first, What is your name?" "I'm Griv." "Then, Griv, let's go to this private place of yours." "You may be asked to surrender your weapons. Will that be acceptable?" "It depends." Luke responded. Griv walked out of the cantina and Luke followed him. They headed down the street to where a landspeeder was parked. Griv got in the driver's seat and Luke got in the passenger side. "So talk. What is all this about?" "First let's get to where we're going. Then after you explain a few things, we can tell our story." "What sort of things?" "I'll let. our leader tell you." Luke noticed Griv's hesitation, but didn't say anything. He turned to watch the road ahead of them. Soon they arrived at a small building. From the probe of his tail earlier, Luke knew that this wasn't the rebel base, or at least not the main part. He entered the building, followed by Griv and waited for the recruiter to show him which way to go. They entered a turbolift, and Luke got a strange feeling at the back of his mind. Luke wasn't sure how to interpret the feeling, but he knew it was important. The doors opened, and Luke was greeted with a corridor. He stepped out, following Griv. Before he entered a room, another man scanned him for weapons. "Nothing but his blaster and a lightsaber, sir." "Let him keep them." Griv responded. "Please, Skywalker, go right in there." Luke obeyed, walking in. Then he stopped in shock. The leader. "Princess Leia?" He asked, totally stunned. He felt his father reach out to see what had shocked him and then his father's shock. "Hello, Luke. It's good to see you again." "But weren't you on Yavin?" Luke asked, feeling as if the world had suddenly tilted. "This is going to take some time to explain. Why don't you sit down?" Luke did so, still feeling shocked, but now he understood the feeling he had earlier. It was the Force warning him of what would happen. "Before I explain things, would you mind explaining how you escaped Imperial captivity?" "Uh. sure. I was held for three years before I managed to escape. A guard came in and I managed to surprise him enough to overpower him. I took his uniform and escaped. I. temporarily borrowed a ship, and that's about it. I've been on the run for two years now." Luke lied smoothly. He had been a prisoner, he had to admit, but only for two days, but he wouldn't tell that to the people here. "Where did you get that lightsaber? It's different from the one you had before." "I found it." Luke lied. He had actually made it himself, three years ago, but he wasn't going to tell her that. "Can you tell me how you survived Yavin, now?" He asked. "We acted as control from some ships parked on Yavin. When we realized that you didn't destroy the Death Star, which, by the way, why didn't you fire?" "The X-wing malfunctioned. I don't know what happened." That was nothing more then the simple truth. The Death Star techs had had gone over the X- wing from top to bottom, and couldn't find a reason for the malfunction. He shrugged. "Of course, the Imperials probably know what happened. So what happened to you?" "When the Death Star was about to fire, we lifted off and turned to shields on full power. It protected us somewhat from the blast. We were tossed around and several of us were injured. We hid in the debris field until the Death Star left." Luke nodded, but didn't say anything. "So, would you like to rejoin?" Leia asked, a note of hope in her voice. "I would love to." Luke said, smiling. His smile wasn't for being back in the Alliance, though. He was just grateful they had accepted his cover story.  
  
For a few weeks, Luke got used to being in the Rebel Alliance again, and quickly made it clear that he was extremely talented. The rebels thought that his skill came from living on the run for two years. He continued to communicate with his father and the Emperor through the Force, as it was too dangerous to send holo transmissions. He hadn't really been surprised to see Threepio still around. He had just shook his head. Threepio had asked what had happened to Artoo. Luke had replied that he didn't know, which wasn't true. Artoo had been repaired by the Death Star techs and returned to Luke once he proved himself loyal. Vader had been surprised to see that particular droid and had ordered that it be repaired. They had left Artoo's memory alone, but had programmed it to be loyal to the Empire. So Luke had to say that he didn't know what had happened to Artoo. Threepio was convinced that Artoo had been melted down for scrap. Luke met many people, and saw some people he remembered from Yavin, including Wedge Antilles. "Hey, Luke." Luke turned at the sound of his name. "Yeah, Wedge?" "We're getting a shipment today, and I think you'll want to see who is the pilot." "Who?" "I'm not saying anything. Just come on." Wedge said. Luke felt a flash of annoyance, but curbed it. He was curious, so he followed the rebel. They headed for the landing bay that had been reserved for the alliance under a bogus company. It was huge. There was almost enough room for a Star Destroyer. Luke's own ship had been moved here as soon as he had formally joined the alliance. Vader had had a hard time getting the Bothan spy net to join the empire, and had decided to strike a blow to the rebellion. The attack would be tonight. Luke shook himself out of his thoughts as a familiar Corellian freighter came into view. "That's." Luke trailed off. "The Millennium Falcon." Wedge finished. "Yep, with your old buddy Han Solo at the controls." Luke shook his head; it seemed that he had been right. "Do you think we might run into you again?" "Count on it." His and Han's words echoed through his head, not that Solo would remember it. He watched as the freighter landed and shut down. Han came down the ramp, walking as if he didn't have a care in the world, and then stopped dead in his tracks. "Luke?" He asked, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Hello, Han." Luke said calmly. Han blinked and then recovered. He turned to Wedge. "This is the new pilot you wanted me to see, isn't he?" He sounded outraged. "Yep. The look on your face was priceless, did you know that, Solo?" "I'm going to kill you, Antilles." Wedge just laughed. Luke shook his head, amused at the banter. Han turned to Leia who was walking up. "Well, your highnessness, we have your forty crates of proton torpedoes and we need some repairs, so do you mind if we stay here for a while?" "I don't think it will be a problem, Solo, if you stay out of the way." Luke grinned at this. As long as they stood here, he could use the Force to subtly tamper with the torpedoes. "Hey, Solo, how long have you known the alliance was still around?" Luke asked. "Two years. I was asked to take a shipment and when I got there, guess who was waiting for me." "And Leia recruited you as a cargo hauler." Luke said, deliberately provoking the pirate. "Cargo hauler? Is that all you think I am? I'm also a combat pilot and."  
  
Leia cut him off. "And all around egoist." Han looked wounded but Wedge grinned. It was evidentially an old joke. "You just can't win, Han." Wedge put in. Luke was done sabotaging the torpedoes, and was getting tired of standing in the bay. "Solo, are you still trying to win against a princess?" He asked, starting to move towards the door. Everyone followed him, which was not really surprising. "What? Do you think I'm going to let her win at any argument?" "I think you don't have much of a choice." Wedge interjected. "You stay out of this." Han said, only half-kidding. Luke felt a tugging on his mind; his father wanted him to report. He sent a brief message, saying that he would be able to in a minute. "I need to go. The hyperdrive on my ship is acting up. I want to talk to you later, Solo." "Whatever you say, kid." Luke headed back to his ship and entered it. He focused and a second later his father responded. ~Is everything ready for tonight? ~ ~It is. The alarms have been disabled and most of the guards are going to be asleep at their posts. ~ Luke grinned, a smile with absolutely no warmth whatsoever. He felt his father's approval, then cut the link. Luke moved to the back of the ship, pretending to work on the hyperdrive. A second later, he heard someone come up the ramp to his ship. He reached out and found it was Han. "What is it, Han?" "Nice ship." The smuggler said, looking around. "So what's wrong with the hyperdrive?" "I'm trying to figure that out. I haven't found anything wrong yet, but it keeps acting up." "Mind if I help?" "Go ahead, try and run a diagnostic on the navicomputer, maybe the problem's there." As he spoke, Luke reached out and quickly severed a link between the navicomputer and the hyperdrive. Nothing important, just enough that it would cause the hyperdrive to receive the wrong coordinates on occasion. "Got it." They worked in silence for a while, before Han spoke up. "There's nothing wrong with the navicomputer, Luke." "The hyperdrive seems fine, too." Luke said, acting puzzled. "What exactly is happening to it?" "Well, about half the time I go out, I get the wrong coordinates. I can't figure out what's wrong." "Sounds like a problem in the connection between the hyperdrive and the navicomputer." "Good point. I didn't think to check there." They checked it out and of course that was what was wrong. Working together, they repaired it quickly and left the ship. "Thanks for the help." "No problem, kid. You know, that's a real nice ship you've got there. Where'd you get it?" "I. borrowed it when I escaped Imperial prison." "Well, whatever else they are, the Imps sure know how to build ships. What's her name?" "Well, I don't know what the Imps called her, but I named her the Desert Saber." "Good name. So, do you want to head over to Downtime?" Downtime was the name of the bar on the base. "Sure." They headed out, and Luke once again privately smiled. He would be glad when he could leave.  
  
Technician Tolt Ingi looked at the alarm system in horror. He had been running a routine check on the system just before going off duty for the night. What he had found horrified him. The entire alarm system had been disabled expertly. He didn't know who did it, but knew that he had to report it to his superiors soon. Ingi headed straight for the Princess's office, but ran into Luke Skywalker on the way there. "Technician." The man said, stepping out of the way. "Sir." Ingi responded. He turned to go and as he went he had the strangest feeling that he was being followed. He dismissed it and kept going. Then he felt something stab at his brain and knew no more. Luke caught the technician as he fell. Wedge had come into view a second before he reached the man, so he'd had to use the Force to knock him out. "What happened?" Wedge asked, coming up in front of him. "I don't know. He just collapsed." Luke said. He checked his work. Good. The man wouldn't wake up for several hours, long after the attack was over. "Whatever it is, he's out cold." Luke continued. "Can you help me get him to the medical bay?" "Sure." Luke shifted his hold on the rebel and Wedge helped him get the unconscious man down the hall. They left him there, Wedge wondering what had happened. Luke pretended to be confused too, but his mind was racing. The technician had discovered Luke's tampering and that meant others could as well. He hoped that they wouldn't within an hour, when the attack would happen. Quickly he sent a message to his father, warning him that the rebels may have discovered his tampering.  
  
An hour later, Luke was walking down a corridor to the hanger when his father contacted him. ~Luke we're in. ~ Luke sent a brief message saying he understood, but he couldn't do anything that might warn the rebels of the attack. A second later his com beeped. "Skywalker." He said, wondering who would be sounding the alarm. "Luke, we've got intruders in the landing bay. Can you get down here and give us a hand?" "Sure, Han, I'll be right there." Luke walked into the bay and grabbed his lightsaber. It was finally time. He was tired of pretending to be a rebel. Quickly, Luke ignited his green blade, and deflected any blaster bolt that came his way. He made sure that every bolt he deflected hit a rebel or a rebel ship. He felt more rebels pouring into the hanger, some with blasters ready, others trying to escape. Luke turned and headed out of the landing bay. He felt the princess trying to escape though another route and wanted to stop her. He kept his lightsaber out, but extinguished it. Leia and Padme headed straight for the small landing pad where there was a few ships parked. Only those who had been with the alliance for several months knew about this pad. Still, just as they reached the entrance, a man stepped in the way. Leia looked up and gasped. "Luke! What." "Nice try, Princess." He said, a cold smile fitting itself onto his face. Padme was quicker to understand what was going on and pulled out her blaster. In a flash, Luke's lightsaber was on and deflected the bolts. An instant later, both Padme's and Leia's blasters were in his hand and Luke had his lightsaber under Leia's chin. "Now, you have a choice. You can come with me quietly, or I can knock you out and carry you. Both of you." "You. You. Sithspawn!" Leia sputtered in rage. "Will you cooperate or not?" Luke asked impatiently. "Skywalker, I will never cooperate." Leia said. "Very well." Luke said, then he put his hand to her forehead and spoke one word. "Sleep." The princess collapsed and Luke caught her easily. "And what about you?" Luke said, turning to Padme. She was quiet, but composed. "I will not allow you to get away with this, Luke." He smiled. "I already have. Now get moving." He said, in a tone of voice that allowed no argument. She sighed and was about to argue anyway when several stormtroopers appeared. They expertly bound her and the princess and Luke faded into the background, searching for more rebels.  
  
An hour later it was all over and Luke returned to the landing bay where many of the rebels were being held, the still unconscious princess and Padme included. When he stepped in, all the prisoners stopped talking instantly, realizing what they were seeing. Luke ignored the stares and calmly headed for his ship. On the way there, he found his path blocked by Han Solo and his wookie copilot, Chewbacca. "How could you, Luke?" The Corellian asked. "I don't have to answer to you." Luke said coldly, all light gone from his voice. "Now get out of my way." "No." Han said. Luke locked eyes with the smuggler. The Corellian's eyes widened in fear and shock. Luke just stood there until the smuggler moved. Then he headed for his ship, the only ship in the bay still flyable. Vader watched his son from where he stood nearby and smiled under his mask. He had preformed well and had completed his training. This mission was shaping up to be his final test, though the young man didn't realize it. Vader watched as Luke lifted up and out of the hanger, pleased with his son. On another note, Luke had captured a prisoner Vader had been quite surprised to see. Vader turned to where she sat, dejected. He headed to her, the rebels staying well away from him. She looked up as he approached and Vader could see the pain her eyes. "Get up, Amidala." Vader ordered. She glared at him, but got up. He moved away, behind a small ship. She spoke first. "How could you? He should have been a Jedi, not a Sith like you." "You never told me about him, in fact you said you had lost him." "I had. I never expected to see him again. I had hoped he would we able to redeem you." "From what? From finding the truth?" The rebels on the other side of the ship listened with interest. "Ani, he should have been free, not a slave to the Dark Side like his father." Wedge turned to a member of his squadron. "Did she just call him 'Ani?'" he whispered. The other rebel pilot nodded. "Slave? The Force is our servant, not the other way around." "They know each other." Griv observed. "Ani, it's not too late. You can save yourself and our son." The rebels suddenly looked at each other in shock. They didn't say anything "Padme, they can hear us." Vader said. "I really don't care. You betrayed everything you once held dear, and twisted my son. Ani, you've truly become a monster." Padme shot back. "Padme, I know what you are trying to do and it won't work." Vader came back around, pushing Padme before him. He didn't say anything to the amazed rebels. They stayed away from him. He pushed Padme over to a group of stormtroopers. "Take her to my shuttle." He ordered before turning to the rebels who had listened to their conversation. They flinched back. "You will speak of this to no one." He ordered, using the Force to make it compulsive. They didn't speak, but Vader could see that they'd gotten the message. He turned away from them, unwilling to stay near the rebels any longer. He headed for his shuttle and got in. The officers and stormtroopers on the ground should be able to take care of the rebel prisoners easily and did not require his presence. Other matters did, and he wanted to speak with his son.  
  
Luke sat back, after putting the ship on autopilot and just stared out at the stars. He was glad to back in space and away from the rebel base. He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, and wouldn't, but the few weeks he spent on Bothawui had been hard. He had been forced to confront things he thought he had left behind. Love, friendship, compassion, all those things and more had shown themselves to him. He shook his head, knowing that as a Sith, his thoughts should not dwell on such things. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what might have happened if things had turned out differently. His vision blurred, and he squeezed his eyes shut, recognizing the sensation. The Force wanted to show him something. We reached out and found what he was looking for. He saw himself returning to the Yavin base, and participating in a celebration. He saw many scenes, many with the princess or Han Solo in them. Then, one final scene appeared. It was of himself, standing before Palpatine. "I am a Jedi, like my father before me." Luke heard himself say. Luke suddenly came back to himself, startled. So, if he had destroyed the Death Star, he would have become a Jedi. A Light Side user. He shook his head, repulsed. No. It would not happen to him. He would not go back to the weaker side of the Force. A wave of anger swept over him. He would have gone on, believing that old man's lies, believing that the Dark Side was destructive. He slammed his fist into the panel, outraged. He would never again believe such things, never again listen to such lies from those in the Light Side. He took control of his ship again and landed in the Executor's hanger bay. When he stepped out, his face was hard, revealing nothing of the emotional turmoil he had gone through. A few moments later, his father's shuttle landed close to his ship. Then, his father exited, followed by a rebel prisoner. Luke looked at her in confusion. Why would his father want to bring this prisoner with him and not the princess? Luke bowed his head to his father as two stormtroopers took the woman away. They left, and Luke raised an eyebrow, questioning his father. Vader didn't say anything, however. Vader turned to go, and Luke followed him. They reached Vader's quarters and entered. Once they were in the room, Vader turned back to him. "You had second thoughts about your allegiance to the empire." It was not a question. Luke tried not to show it, but he was surprised. He knew better then to lie. "I'm sorry, Father, it's just." he trailed off, unsure what he could say. "Yet you stayed true and did not allow the rebel lies to impact you." Luke looked up, surprised that his father had picked up on his feelings. "Yes, Father." "Good. That is a test all Sith must pass." "You mean, that was just a test? You knew the alliance was still around?" "No. We did not know the alliance was still alive. We had wondered how we were going to test you, but this was the perfect opportunity. You would probably have infiltrated the rebel base even if you didn't need to be tested." Luke was still angry at his father and his master, but tried not to show it. "What is the test exactly?" "You would have to face your past, the one you left to become a Sith. You very likely confronted light side feelings such as love, caring, or compassion." "Oh." The door behind Luke opened and Admiral Ozzel walked in. "My Lord, the Emperor commands that you make contact with him." "Very well. I will take it in here." "Yes, My Lord." Vader turned to the small communication room in his quarters. Luke followed him, and kneeled just behind Vader when the Emperor's hologram shimmered into being. "Well done, Lord Vader, young Skywalker." "Thank you, master." Luke and Vader responded at the same time. "You still have to convince the Bothans to join, however. When you are done, return to Imperial Center." "Yes, master." Vader replied. Luke remained silent. The Emperor ended the transmission, allowing his servants to finish with the cleanup operation and their original mission.  
  
Leia woke up with a headache. She sat up carefully and noticed she was in a cell. "Great. Just perfect." She suddenly gasped as she remembered what had happened. Luke Skywalker had betrayed them. She pounded her fists against the wall and cursed. She shouldn't have trusted Skywalker. She should have. she trailed off. He was probably already an Imperial agent at the time of the Death Star and didn't fire on purpose. The door to the cell opened, interrupting her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed as Vader walked in, followed by Skywalker, who was still in his civilian clothes. She glared at Skywalker, who smiled coldly in return. She shivered violently and turned to Vader, who was watching her reaction. "As you can see, Your Highness, you have brought a traitor into the rebellion. Your rebel base has been completely destroyed." "Monster." She spat. Leia wasn't about to show it, but she was frightened. She felt something impact her head, though nothing had been nearby, and the room spun. "Now, princess, that is not proper behavior." Vader said, almost mocking her. "Luke tells me that you mentioned other rebel bases. Where are they?" "I'm not saying anything." Leia defied. She felt her head strike the wall behind her and she saw stars. "Very well." Vader turned to Skywalker. "Use the droid if you have to. Just remember that the Emperor wants her alive." "Yes, My Lord." Luke said, and bowed his head as the Dark Lord left. "How could you?" Leia asked as soon as Vader was out of the cell. "When you find that your entire life was a lie, you tend to change your mind about many things." Skywalker said. Leia looked at him, unsure of what to make of that statement. "Now. Where are the other rebel bases?" He continued, his voice and face suddenly as hard as stone. "I told you I'm not saying anything." "Are you sure? I would suggest that you cooperate, otherwise it will be most unpleasant. And I know you almost broke last time." "Monster." Leia spat out as an answer. "Very well." Luke gestured and the door opened behind him. In floated a well-remembered droid, or one very similar to it. She drew back in fear, then flinched as it injected her with a truth drug. "Where are the rebel bases?" Luke asked. "On. On. I'm not saying anything." Leia struggled against the drug. Then she yelled as the droid began torturing her body, as Luke continued to ask questions. "Where are the rebel bases?" She just glared at him. "You do want the pain to end, don't you, your highness? The pain will end when you reveal the location of the rebel bases." She couldn't answer, she just screamed as the droid continued to torture her. She screamed as the droid electrocuted her again. Suddenly, all the fight went out of her. She knew that she had betrayed the rebellion, had betrayed all she had worked for, as surely as if she had turned the base over herself. "You just as well did, Your Highness, by inviting me back into the alliance." She knew it, and she bowed her head in shame.  
  
Luke sighed in slight frustration. They had been at it for nearly eight hours, and she still hadn't broken. He had thought she would break when he told her she had betrayed the rebellion, but she hadn't. Luke couldn't help but admire the princess's tenacity, though. He just wished she had put that spirit to work for the empire. Suddenly an idea came to him. He gestured towards the droid, using the Force to alter it's programming slightly. No one had ever successfully resisted this technique.  
  
She felt a prick on her arm, and then the droid left her. "Your Highness, if you want to save the galaxy, then you will still do it in a way you did not expect. You will still bring peace to the stars, if you reveal the location of the rebel bases." She felt it. She knew that peace would reign if she told him, and yet. she couldn't. She felt like she would betray. something if she did. "No. I won't tell." "Why, Your Highness? Don't you want peace? Don't you wish for the people to live and not worry about war?" Luke asked. She felt something touch her mind. It was not harsh, as Vader's touch had been, but almost gentle, telling her how peace would be served by her revealing her secrets. Still, something stopped her. "No. They live, but they are repressed." "Is that really true, Your Highness? Is it true that the people do not prosper? Many people have more then they would have had under the Republic." Luke's voice was soft, persuasive, and she found herself believing him. She had no reason not to tell; no reason to keep fighting. She just wanted to tell. and yet, some corner of her mind wouldn't let her. Some small portion of herself refused to tell. "No. They have the right to their own opinions." "And they have it. They are allowed to have their own opinions, and all of them do. Your Highness, many beings feel that the Empire is good. They are right. The Empire has helped billions. Don't you want to help them too?" Luke was no longer standing near the door, but was bent over her, his arm apparently supporting her. "Yes. I want to help them." She said, all the while thinking What is wrong with me? "Then you must tell me where the rebel bases are." He was looking right into her eyes as he spoke, his eyes apparently pleading, pleading for the galaxy. She felt herself becoming caught up in the plea. "Yes. I'll tell." She said, feeling as if the words were ripped out of her. "They're on Datooine, Tatooine, Corellia, Hoth, and there is one I don't know where it is." "Who would, Your Highness?" "Only those assigned to that base." She said, as if in a dream. "Then sleep, Leia, you've had a hard day." "Yes, I have." She murmured as her eyes closed. She sank down, and slept.  
  
Luke smiled once she had fallen asleep. It had worked. The drug, which left her mind more open to suggestion, combined with the Force persuasion, had worked. He didn't understand why it had taken so long, but shrugged. The main thing was that it had worked. He checked the recorder, then turned it off. It had captured the names of the planets. He looked down at her for a few minutes. She was very unusual, in that she had resisted him for several minutes. Most beings resisted this sort of mental persuasion very little. But then again, she would have had training to resist interrogation. He left the room and gave no further thought to the matter.  
  
Leia woke up in a few hours and wondered where she was. Her heart suddenly sank as she remembered what had happened before. She had told him. She had betrayed the rebellion for real this time. She sat up and buried her head in her hands. What had come over her? Why had she felt the way she did? Why had she told Skywalker? She sat there, unsure of her future. She didn't wish to, but she knew she had to go over what happened. She stiffened, remembering Vader calling Skywalker "Luke." What did that mean? Was it just because he would have trained Luke, or was there some other reason? She shook her head. It didn't matter. She had told him. That was all that mattered. She buried her head in her hands and continued to barite herself. She couldn't have known that Luke had manipulated her through the Force, and wouldn't have cared if she did. She just sat there, incriminating herself. Suddenly remembering something, she sat up straight. I didn't tell him about the special team. They may be able to complete their mission. She knew that only one other person who had been captured that knew about their existence. Padme had said that if they succeeded, there was a chance that they could gain an unexpected ally. Leia had wondered what she meant by that, but didn't question it. It was risky, but all the hopes of the Alliance now rested on that team's mission.  
  
Artoo Detoo wheeled into the small bay the Imperials were keeping the captured rebel droids. Luke had told him to see if See-Threepio was among them, and the little droid hoped so. While Luke and his father had no trouble understanding him, everyone else he met did, and even if the taller droid was a bit annoying, he could at least translate for Artoo. Artoo brought his lights up to scan the deactivated droids. He sounded a low, uncertain tone as he found the golden droid. Quickly he rolled over to Threepio and sounded the trio of tones that had been developed by Anakin Skywalker. Now, if either of the droids produced these tones, the other would reactivate, no matter how they had been deactivated. The only way it wouldn't work would be if the droid had run out of power. It would even work against a restraining bolt. The tall droid jerked upright. "Oh, my head." He moaned. Artoo gave a joyful beep. "Artoo? Is that you?" Another beep, this one annoyed. "Well, I don't know who else it would be, but Master Luke said that he didn't know what happened to you. Oh no! The Empire just invaded the base. We have to do something to help!" Artoo gave an electronic sigh, then moved closer to Threepio. He then told the other not to worry. "What do you mean, don't worry? Master Luke and Mistress Leia could be captured if we don't do anything." Artoo issued another series of beeps and electronic whistles. "What? The attack ended a day ago? Then how did you know I was here?" Artoo sighed again. Threepio was still slow on the uptake. On another note, he had to reprogram the other droid. "What do you mean by leveling your computer jack at me?" Artoo replied at length. "You just want to see if anything happened to any of my programming? No Artoo I will not let you. Have a technician do it." Threepio started to move away, but Artoo quickly ran another series of tones through, this time activating the retraining bolt that Threepio wore. The other froze, except for his vocoder. "Artoo! What do you think you're doing?" The smaller droid didn't respond, just moved towards where he knew Threepio had an access port. Quickly, the smaller droid plugged in and downloaded a few programs into the taller droid. At first, Threepio protested, then quieted. Soon, both droids were silent, as data flowed between them.  
  
Padme sat in her cell, worried about her daughter, and her son. They were both trapped by the empire. In different ways, of course, but trapped all the same. Luke was very likely just as lost as Anakin had been. But Leia. if only they could escape before Luke or Anakin noticed the similarity. She knew that Ani was still Light enough not to kill her, otherwise he would have done so when he first saw her in the rebel base. Instead, Padme could almost feel the surprise he felt at seeing her. She smiled briefly at the thought. The smile died quickly. Her daughter was very likely undergoing interrogation, very likely from her husband or her son. She didn't know what she would do. She bowed her head and sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening for her daughter. The door opened and she looked up. As she had expected, she heard the mechanical breathing that meant it was Ani. She watched as he came in, and closed her eyes in pain. He saw the gesture, of course, but he didn't say anything. She opened her eyes after a moment, and watched the monster her husband had become. "You know that you are facing serious charges." Yes, she knew. She didn't say anything, just nodded. "Why did you join the rebellion?" "To fight for what I believed in. To fight for what *you* used to believe in." Amidala exclaimed. "Ami, you have no reason to fight. I do not believe in such causes. You knew your fight was doomed from the start, especially with Luke at my side." "Why didn't I realize it? How could I have not seen that you would be on the Death Star and would have noticed the similarity between you and Luke? Not to mention his last name." She asked, her head in her hands. "Only you can answer that, Ami." Vader told her, before leaving. She watched him go, then dropped her head back down. She could think of no way to bring him back.  
  
Leia watched her cell door, for a lack of anything else to do. She wished she could somehow open it, to escape. In a moment of boredom, she imagined the door unlocking and opening. She had studied this type of door and knew how to unlock it. She looked up, startled as the door hissed open. No one came in, and she moved cautiously to the doorway. Peeking out, she saw nobody. She stepped out, then moved to where she knew a guard was posted. Hopefully, she could knock him out and take his place.  
  
Luke paused in his walk towards his ship. He felt a strong Force wave. But even as he tried to pinpoint it, it vanished. Reaching out, he couldn't even tell which part of the ship it was coming from. He knew it wasn't from his father, though. He felt his father searching for the source himself. He gave up, frustrated, and felt Vader do the same.  
  
Leia couldn't believe her luck. Not only had she managed to take the guard's place, but she had also discovered the location of her mother's cell. She was the only other rebel in this detention block; all the others were in other parts of the ship. Moving rapidly, Leia came to her mother's cell. Opening the door, Leia walked in and smiled. She took off the helmet, and her mother recognized her. "Leia, how."  
  
"I don't know, but let's get out of here. I'll pretend I'm bringing you to Vader, and we might be able to escape." "It should work." Quickly, the women put their plan into motion. They exited the detention block with no trouble. In fact, it seemed as if the guards didn't even notice them leaving. In the turbolift, Leia had unlocked Padme's cuffs, leaving them on but unlocked. They were just enough to look real. They exited the lift, and headed for the bay, which was very close. They entered, and found it deserted. They hurried for a shuttle, but just before they reached it, Leia heard the distinctive breath of Vader. She whirled, noticing her mother doing the same. "I thought you might try something like this, Ami." Leia frowned, how did Vader know her mother's nickname? She was jolted out of her thoughts by her mother's voice. "Did you really, Ani?" *Ani? * Why was Padme calling Vader *Ani* of all things? "In fact, I expected it. What I didn't expect was you to take the princess with you." "I'm just full of surprises." Padme said shortly. "Indeed, much like our son." Our Son!? Leia gasped as Luke came around from behind Vader to stand by Vader. But if Luke was Padme and Vader's son then that meant that she was Luke's sister and Vader's daughter! She noticed Luke's glance in her direction. He'd mistaken her surprise. She backed slightly away from her. no. He couldn't be related to her. Her mother glanced at her too, but did not misinterpret her surprise. "I'm sorry, Leia." Leia didn't trust herself to say anything at the moment. She just nodded. Luckily, her helmet was still on so they couldn't see her face. Otherwise, she knew they would see the horror in her eyes. The family faced each other, mother and daughter on one side, father and son on the other.  
  
Han Solo paced in his cell. After being placed here two days ago, he had had no visitors whatsoever. Even his food was brought by a guard who immediately left. He was getting worried about Leia- and the other rebels of course. He admitted, if only to himself that he was worried about his new friends in the rebellion. He also worried about Chewie, though he knew the wookie was probably being used as slave labor. Turning, he shook his head. *How could Luke have betrayed the rebellion like that? What could have made him change his mind? What had made him seem so, well, evil? * Han continued to pace, going over the same events that he had thought about since he had been placed in the cell.  
  
Luke watched the princess carefully. She seemed to be almost in shock, though he didn't understand her reaction. He mentally shrugged, unworried. Vader spoke. "Surrender, both of you." Leia responded. "No. I will not become a prisoner again." Luke didn't like the sound of that. He brought his hand down to his lightsaber almost instinctively. A second later, he brought it up just in time to deflect a blaster bolt from Leia's gun. He heard his father ignite his own blade, then he felt again that strong Force wave. He was distracted for only for a second, but it was long enough for Padme to bring her gun out and start firing. Quickly, Luke thumbed his comlink, alerting the bridge that some rebels were trying to escape. Luke suddenly realized that the women were edging their way to the shuttle, in fact they were already on the ramp. He moved closer to them, hoping he could disable the ship. He felt rather then heard the repulserlifts engage, he was that close. Bringing his lightsaber around, he tried to cut through the coolant lines, but the shuttle lifted off. He brought his arm up to ward off the backwash from the engines. Then he threw himself to the side, hoping to avoid any injury. He watched in helpless frustration as the shuttle escaped through the magnetic containment field. "Blast." He said, then got up and turned to Vader. "Hopefully the TIEs can stop them." Vader said. "We'd better get to the bridge." As they made their way out, stormtroopers belatedly rushed in. They quickly made room for Lord Vader and Luke followed right behind him.  
  
The Admiral turned as he heard the turbolift doors opening. He watched as Vader walked out, followed by Skywalker. The boy's eyes went immediately to the viewport, where the fleeing shuttle could be seen, followed by three squadrons of TIE fighters and one of interceptors. So far, the shuttle was outflying the TIEs very handily. "Admiral, do not let them escape." Vader said, the underlying threat very clear. "Yes, M' Lord." The Admiral turned to a Lieutenant nearby. "Lieutenant, launch another squad of interceptors. I don't want them getting away." "Yes, sir." The Admiral turned and watched the boy who had come in with Lord Vader. His eyes were narrowed as he watched the fleeing shuttle. Suddenly, he turned to the turbolift and disappeared into it. The admiral frowned, what was that all about? Vader continued to watch the shuttle.  
  
Luke raced on board the Desert Saber. He lifted off almost as soon as he was in the pilot's seat. Luckily, Vader had given orders that his ship would be allowed clearance at any time. Once outside of the bay, he took off at near full speed towards the shuttle. It was almost out of Bothawui's gravitational field, which meant that it could almost escape into hyperspace. Quickly, he started shooting at the shuttle, but before he could hit it accurately, it vanished. He hit the control board before turning the ship around. They had escaped, but if everything worked, they wouldn't stay free for long. They especially couldn't let the princess stay free. Luke had just felt that she was strong in the Force, untrained definitely, but very strong. He sighed slightly as he landed, thinking that his master would not like this train of events.  
  
"My Lord, we are receiving a message from Bothawui!" Vader turned to the communications officer. "What is it, Ensign?" The ensign gulped before responding. "They want to join the empire. They are willing to negotiate with any official representatives from the emperor." "Very good. Inform them that I will take my shuttle down in an hour." Vader turned his gaze back to where the shuttle had vanished. He had some thinking to do.  
  
On the shuttle, Leia set the autopilot, then sat back and buried her head in her hands. "Leia, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Padme said. "How could he be my." She cut off, as her stomach threatened to rise to her throat. "I owe you an explanation, I suppose. Darth Vader was once a Jedi by the name of Anakin Skywalker." "Does that mean Luke is my brother?" Leia asked. "He's your twin and that's how you knew he was still alive." "What?" "Because you are both strong in the Force, you can feel each other, dimly. You would know if the other died." "But why didn't. I did! Two days after Yavin, I woke up shivering. I thought it was just reaction with all that's happened. That must have been when Luke joined the Empire." "That's very likely." "But how did you marry Anakin Skywalker?" "We met when I was fourteen and he was nine. Naboo, my planet was under attack by the Trade Federation and, with a lot of help from a pair of Jedi named Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, I managed to escape. We had to land for repairs on Tatooine, and that's where I met your father. At that time, Anakin was a slave." "A slave!" "Yes. He managed to win his freedom and left with us to Coruscant. Later, Obi-Wan became his master and trained him as a Jedi. We didn't meet again for about ten years. Then, we fought together in the clone wars, along with Bail Organa. Anakin and I fell in love, and married. Not quite two years later, I found I was pregnant, but before I could tell Ani, he disappeared. Three months later, Obi-Wan told me that he had fallen to the Dark Side. We had to hide you and Luke. You were taken and raised by the Organas, while Luke was raised by Obi-Wan's brother and sister-in-law. I was captured by Palpatine when I tried to save Ani, but he never found out about you and Luke." "Until Yavin." "When he found out about Luke." Padme agreed. "I wish there was some way we could've freed the other rebels." Leia said, changing the subject. "So do I, but they were in various detention blocks and it would have been too dangerous." "I set us on a course for Dantooine. Hopefully, we can get some people at the base there to go on a rescue mission." "And we can find a way to bring Ani and Luke back." "What?" Leia was understandably confused. Padme bowed her head. "It's hard, but there have been times when Jedi have broken free of the snare of the Dark Side. Perhaps it would be possible to help Luke and Anakin break free."  
  
Han looked up as the door to his cell opened. Luke Skywalker stood at the doorway for a second before entering. "Get out of here." Han growled. Luke smiled slightly, and Han shivered. That smile had no warmth at all. "I will eventually, Solo, eventually." "What do you want with me, traitor?" "I just want to talk." Luke made no move to close the distance between them and Han remained on the bench. "Yeah, right. I can guess what this talk is going to be like." "You may be surprised. I would like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind." Han rolled his eyes. "I doubt I'll answer them." "I can still ask them." "Nothing's going to stop that." Luke locked eyes with Han until the pirate dropped his eyes. "Very well, Solo. What made you join the rebellion?" "What do you mean by that?" Han asked, stalling. "I know that you didn't want anything to do with the rebellion five years ago, and you were only in it for the money." "Same as before, I was being paid well." Han said. "You're lying, Solo." Luke said, his icy eyes again connecting with the pirate's brown ones. "What makes you say that?" "Or perhaps you're deluding even yourself." Luke said slowly, as if piecing information together. "Huh?" Han couldn't help but ask. Luke looked at him again and then gestured. Han felt a slight crawling sensation, which soon disappeared. He narrowed his eyes at the Imperial standing before him. "What just happened?" "Did something just happen, Solo?" Luke asked, smiling slightly. "Alright, traitor, I've had enough of this. Why did you come to see me?" "Like I said, to ask some questions." "If you believe that, I've found the Kantana Fleet." "Whether you choose to believe me or not, the fact remains." "You know, you sound like the old man." Luke glared at Han and stepped closer before he controlled himself and stopped. "Never compare me to Kenobi." Luke growled. Han flinched back from the venom in Luke's voice. He hit his head, then brought his hand up to rub it. "What happened? You used to think the world of him." "When you find out someone has lied to you, it generally destroys any respect you have for them." Luke said angrily. Han looked at him. "Kenobi lied to you? About what? "My family." Luke said softly. "Sith, what did Vader and Palpatine do to you?" Luke smiled slightly. "You just named it." Then he turned and left the cell, leaving Han staring after him, confused.  
  
A day later, the Bothan homeworld, along with its colony worlds and spy network, became a member of the Galactic Empire. The Executor would be returning to Imperial Center in a day. As most of the crew prepared to depart, a pair of droids wandered through the halls. They were headed for Lord Vader's quarters, but had had troubles convincing the troops they were legitimate. Thus, they were continually delayed. Finally, Artoo Detoo and See-Threepio found themselves at Vader's quarters. There, they were once again stopped by guards. "What do you think you two are doing?" Artoo responded with a series of whistles. Threepio translated. "We were told to report here. You may check with Lord Vader if you prefer." The two troops looked at each other uncertainly. "I don't know." one of them said. The other activated the comlink. "My Lord, there are two droids here who say they were told to report here." "Let them in, Lieutenant." "Yes, My Lord." The door opened and the droids entered. Behind them, the stormtroopers exchanged another glance. "Why did Lord Vader want droids?" One asked the other. He shrugged. "As long as I don't have to go in there, I really don't care."  
  
Luke watched as the droids entered quietly. He was planning on how to recapture the princess with his father. Artoo rolled over to the corner when he saw that they were busy. Threepio hesitated for a second, then joined Artoo near the computer. Vader looked at Luke for a moment before returning to their work. "Now, Padme is very capable with almost any type of blaster. She is also an excellent shot." Vader informed Luke. "Like the princess." "Yes. It's very odd, the similarities." "But why would the princess be so much like my mother?" Threepio suddenly interrupted. "But I heard Mistress Leia call Mistress Padme 'Mother.'" Artoo whistled in surprise, but it was otherwise silent in the room.  
  
Han looked at his door quickly. It stayed closed, unfortunately. He was lying on the floor, with a panel pried up. Underneath it was a bunch of wires, hopefully ones he could use to open the door. However, he had imagined his tinkering was causing some slight havoc to the deck below the detention block.  
  
And he was right, though he didn't know it. In the hallway below Han's cell, lights flickered, went off, then returned to their former brightness. Troops and officers walking by noticed and wondered about it. One reported to maintenance, but they had been unable to fix it. Now, Luke was on his way to the hanger bay when the lights went out. He looked up, then the lights returned at half their normal level. He reached out to discover what was wrong. "Solo." He said in a low tone, startling a lieutenant nearby. "Sir?" "Never mind Lieutenant." Luke said, entering the turbolift. "Deck four."  
  
Han felt something impact his body, and he was thrown into the wall. He lay there for a second, stunned, before scrambling up. Quickly, he shoved all the wires back into the hole created by the deck plate. He pulled the panel back into place, then sat down on his bench, trying desperately to look like he was bored out of his mind. Just as he got his breathing under control, the door opened and Luke walked in. Luke glanced around the cell quickly, then turned to the man sitting down. "I'm impressed." The Imperial said. "What do you mean by that?" "I mean that if I hadn't known what to look for, I wouldn't have noticed that this floor panel is loose." Han froze in shock. "How." "You can keep no secrets from me, Solo. Remember that." "What do you mean?" "I mean that I can see every thought, every intention, almost before you have it." Luke said harshly. With those words, Luke exited the cell, leaving a very rattled pirate behind.  
  
Luke entered Vader's quarters as summoned. Vader turned to him immediately. "The Emperor has approved your plan, but I don't think it is wise of you to rely on a smuggler. Especially one that is on the alliance's side." "Yes, but Solo has strong feelings for Leia, as she does for him. If this works, she will be driven to despair, and closer to the Dark Side." "Yes, she would. But make certain that Solo doesn't cause too much damage." "Yes, Father." Luke turned and left, heading straight for Han's cell.  
  
Han looked up as the door opened again. Once again, it was Luke Skywalker. *Now What? * Han asked himself. Luke smiled slightly. ~You'll find out in a minute, Solo. ~ Han heard in his head. Han blinked in shock. "What?" He asked. "What is it, Solo?" Luke asked. Han glared at the younger man. "Nothing." Luke gestured, a sort of go-ahead move. Han stared at him, then closed his eyes as pain erupted in his head. "That's odd." He heard Luke say. The pain abruptly stopped. "What's odd?" Han gasped out. "You weren't supposed to feel that." Luke locked eyes with Han, and the smuggler shivered. He wanted to look away from the cold gaze of his tormenter, but he couldn't. He stared back, and felt a strange tingling in his mind once again. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't exactly pleasant. Han shrank back from the man before him. As he stared at Luke, he realized that he had no way to protect himself if anything were to happen. Suddenly, Luke released his gaze, and the smuggler slumped down. Luke raised his eyebrows at Han's reaction. "You might want to change your loyalties, Solo, after all, you're lucky I'm the one dealing with you and not Lord Vader." "Vader would deal with me?" "He would probably just order you executed, but I have something else planned." "Which would be.?" Luke smiled. "Do you really think I'm going to tell a rebel?" And then Luke left, leaving Han to his thoughts.  
  
A day later, Han Solo heard the Executor come out of lightspeed, and got ready. As soon as the next guard came in with his meal. The door opened, and Han sprung into action. Before the guard had time to react, Han hit him on the head and grabbed his gun. He stunned the guard, then raced out. He didn't see any other guards so he moved down the cell bank, opening each cell. Prisoners, mostly rebels Han recognized, streamed out. And in one cell. "Chewie!" Han shouted. The wookie grabbed him and gave him a big bear hug. "Alright, alright. Come on, let's get out of here." They, along with about twenty other rebels, quickly made their way out of the detention block. The guards there seemed stunned at the breakout, and were unable to warn the bridge. Soon, then rebels made it to a hanger bay near the detention cell. There, they found many rebel ships in storage, including the Millennium Falcon. Surprising the bridge, the rebel ships took off very quickly. Before most of the TIE fighters had a chance to react, the rebels went into hyperspace, on route to Dantooine. Unknowingly, they also carried a time bomb of an unusual nature.  
  
Luke piloted his ship out of the Executor's hanger bay and pointed it towards Imperial Center, which loomed in the foreground. They were finally back at the throneworld, and it was time for Luke to report to his master. Of course, he had a lot more to report then he had expected. Vader would be coming down later, to give his own report. Luke wasn't looking forward to reporting the escape of both Padme and Leia, especially after learning that Leia was possibly his sister. On the other hand, he knew his master had already sent fleets to each of the worlds Leia had specified during her interrogation and Luke's plan had been set into motion.  
  
The turbolift stopped and he was there. Luke stepped out of the lift and walked up the stairs. Once he reached the top, he kneeled down before Emperor Palpatine. "Rise, young Skywalker. Report." "The Bothan systems have become full members of the Empire and the rebel base on Bothawui has been destroyed. We captured many rebels, among them Princess Leia Organa and Padme Naberrie. Unfortunately, they were able to escape." "Yes, but you have set a plan into motion that will eventually find them." "Yes, master." Luke said. "Good." "There is more, master." "What is it?" "There is evidence that suggests that Organa is Naberrie's daughter." The unspoken addition was obvious. The Emperor was silent for a few moments. When he did speak, he was in control. "This means we will have to find them sooner then we thought. Very well, young Skywalker. I expect you to be at the press conference in a day." "Yes, master." Luke kneeled again, then got up and left the throne room.  
  
Commander Dill Harrier, "Tink" to many of his friends, stood in a small hotel room on Coruscant. "It's time." He said to the man standing next to him. "Yes sir." The phrase was repeated around the room. "The Emperor is holding a press conference a day from now. We should be able to do it then. You should all know, however, that I just received word from the base on Tatooine that the base on Bothawui has been cut off from any communications for several days. When a few men went to see what had happened, most of them were captured by the Imperials. One escaped and managed to report that the Imps were waiting for them and had taken the base." Murmurs filled the room as the team heard this. Tink allowed them to die away before continuing. "This means that our cover may be blown and they may be waiting for us. Any of you who wish to back out now will be allowed to. I will have not hold it against you if you decide to do so." Silence filled the room before Kerry Ilea spoke up. "I for one want to complete this mission." "So do I." "Me, too." "Then, may the Force be with you. Let's go." They scattered, heading to their assigned positions outside Monument Square. Their mission was dangerous and risky, but it was the only hope for the galaxy. For they were rebel agents on Imperial Center and their mission was to assassinate the Emperor.  
  
The time bomb began to count down.  
  
Luke stood in the crowd, near the center of the plaza, from which Emperor Palpatine would be giving his speech. He watched the crowd as they waited, his eyes alert and ready. Most of the crowd was ignoring him, because he was fairly inconspicuous and no one knew who he was. Luke was nervous, however. Something was tingling in the back of his mind and refused to go away. He sent a message to his father, letting him know what he felt, and felt Vader's acknowledgment. Hopefully, it was nothing that would come to a head until after the speech. But Luke had no idea it was going to happen in the middle of the speech.  
  
Three miles away, Turys, the Gandoran sniper, was setting up on a building ringing the plaza. Gandorans have superior eyesight to practically anything in the galaxy, so she had no troubles being so far away. She adjusted the rifle and waited. She wanted to shoot at just the right time.  
  
The Emperor stepped up to the platform from which he would be giving his speech. Vader stood near the edge of the platform, visible, but not intruding on the Emperor.  
  
Turys looked though the scope, adjusted her aim to hit the Emperor's head, and gently squeezed the trigger.  
  
Luke's head snapped up as the feeling finally resolved itself. Without a moment's hesitation, he drew and ignited his lightsaber. He threw it at the podium, hoping he would intercept the blaster bolt. His lightsaber caught the first one, but before he could bring it back, a second bolt hit the Emperor.  
  
Leia, Padme, and Han gathered with several other members of the rebel alliance near the holo in the main rec room. They had decided to watch the news to see what spin the Imperials had put on the assassination. The popular news team came on the screen. "Today the entire Empire is in mourning for the loss of our founder. Yet the security teams have been reviewing the tapes of the event and have noticed something odd. It was believed that Emperor Palpatine was killed by the lightsaber a person in the crowd threw. Yet if you watch closely you see that the lightsaber actually blocks the first blaster bolt, then attempts to block the second." The holo from the event played, and everyone could see what the announcer meant. "The lightsaber was thrown by this member of the crowd." A picture flashed up, of a figure wearing a hooded cloak. "Unfortunately, we were unable to get a picture of their face. Whoever this person is, we thank them for their attempt to save the Emperor. We also ask that everyone around the galaxy keep their eyes open for any rebel activity." The news shut off, and Leia rolled her eyes. "Great. So now we know that someone tried to save the Emperor." Han said. "I wonder who it could be." The last was very sarcastic. "Yeah." Leia was looking at her hands. "Ya know, I still haven't figured out why he betrayed the rebellion." "He said something about finding out that his entire life was a lie right before." Leia shivered. "When he questioned me, he said the same thing. Still, do you know what he meant? I asked him what Vader and Palpatine did to him, and he said I just named it." "What were your exact words, Captain Solo?" Padme asked. "Uh. 'Sith, what did Vader and Palpatine do to you?'" Padme paled. "He's been trained as a Sith." She said. Han swore under his breath. "Exactly, Han." Leia said. "You weren't supposed to hear that." Leia managed a small smile. "If only there was a Jedi left. Then maybe we could do something about this." "I'm still not sure that Jedi are a good idea. I mean, look what happened to Luke!" Padme sighed. "He just never had enough training to resist the Emperor and the Dark Side." "Huh?" Was Han's monosyllabic response. Padme swallowed. "Luke told you that the only training he received was on that trip from Tatooine to Alderran, right?" At Han's nod, she continued. "Most Jedi received a lifetime of training. A few hours would not be enough for Luke to resist the Dark Side." "Whoa, back up there. What's this 'Dark Side?'" "First, if you don't believe in the Force, then this will make no sense. But, the Dark Side is the evil side of the Force. The Jedi used the Light Side for good, while the Sith use the Dark Side for evil." Padme shrugged. "I don't really understand it myself, but I've seen how the Dark Side changed a good friend into someone I hardly recognize." "And that happened to Luke?" Han sounded outraged. "Think about the boy you picked up from Tatooine, Han." Leia said. "Do you think that he would have done this sort of thing then?" "You're right. I just wish there was a way to save him." Han looked up at the women's startled faces. "I mean, I've seen what a path he's traveling on can lead you to. I've meet some people who were just plain and simple evil. Imagine what a could happen to a Sith." "Han, can we go somewhere private?" "Sure, how about the Falcon?" "Chewie, you can come too." Padme said.  
  
Once they were there, Padme turned to the two smugglers. "I think it's time we let you into our little conspiracy." Han looked up, interested. "Sure, whatever you say." "That friend of mine, the one I told you had been changed by the Dark Side, was actually my husband." "And my father." Leia said, slightly bitterly. "Yes. He was once a Jedi Knight, but he fell to the Dark Side." "What was his name?" Han asked. "His name was Anakin Skywalker." 'Like Luke!' Chewbacca roared. "Luke is my son and Leia's twin." "But you say this Anakin turned to the Dark Side? And then Vader killed him?" "No. You see, Vader is Anakin, or was a long time ago." "WHAT????!!!" Han yelled. "You mean to tell me that you are married to Darth Vader?" "Yes." Padme said. "But when I married him he was Anakin Skywalker. There is a difference, or at least it seems there is." "Now you've lost me." Han said. "It's a very long story, so please don't interrupt me before I'm done. I met Anakin not quite forty years ago. We were married ten years later. Then, two years after that, he changed. It was almost as if another person was inside of him. All his priorities changed. He wanted revenge on Obi- Wan Kenobi for some perceived wrong done to him. He and Obi-Wan dueled, then he fell into a pit of cooling lava. Obi-Wan and I knew we had to hide my children. If Vader ever found them, well, you've seen what happened to Luke." "So, what's the conspiracy, keeping Leia hidden?" "No. Obi-Wan told me that it's possible to bring someone back from the Dark Side. I hope I can do that for both Luke and Anakin." "Uh. I'll take your word for it." Han said. "Han, just do me a favor." Leia said. "Don't tell anyone about this." "No argument. Nobody would believe me anyway."  
  
Luke looked out of the window of the throne room on Imperial Center. Since the Emperor's death, Luke had been uncertain as of the path of the future. The Force pulsed around him as he tried to determine the paths that might take place. ~Luke twisted away from a purple blade as he brought his green one to bear on Leia. They were fighting in the throne room, as their parents watched. Luke could see that Padme's hands were still bound and Han Solo lay slumped nearby. Then in a sudden flash of light the scene changed. Luke sat on the throne years later. His father had just died. He turned to look at Leia, who was just entering the room. She spoke, but before Luke heard her words, the scene changed again. This time, he kneeling before his father. "It was disappointing that we could not turn Organa." Vader said.~ Luke jolted out of the trance. His father stood there, apparently worried. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine. I was just trying to see what might happen." Vader nodded slightly. "I have attempted to do the same. Unfortunately, the future is very fractured, confused." "I've noticed." Luke said dryly. Vader turned to his son. "I think that there is some sort of Force vortex appearing." "Vortex?" Luke asked. "There are stories from Jedi lore of when events that could change the course of the galaxy approach. A few times when that happens, Jedi who attempt to view the future will find it is even more fractured than normal. It seems that this is occurring." "So, something big is going to happen, but we won't know what." Luke summarized. "That is accurate. However, I don't think we need to worry about anything in the next few months."  
  
The time bomb continued to count down.  
  
A month later, Luke was on the Executor, once again searching for rebel bases. This time, he was known as Lord Skywalker, and it was his ship. Vader had been proclaimed Palpatine's heir, and had ascended to the throne shortly after their conversation. Unfortunately, the rebels had evacuated all of their bases, leaving no clue as to where they might have gone. Hence, the need for the search. Luke had a suspicion that they might be in the Outer Rim, but he wasn't sure. Right now, he was in hyperspace, heading for a remote section of space, where they could deploy probe droids. He felt a slight shift as the ship jumped out of hyperspace and began deploying probes. Hopefully, it would not take long to discover the location of the rebel base.  
  
Han wiped the dirt off of his hands and looked around. Finally, after a month, the rebel base was established on Endor. It had taken time, but they had even achieved a strange sort of rapport with the natives. Han didn't care for the Ewoks that much, but he had to admit that they knew how to move through the forest. As he looked up at the trees, he also had to admit that this place was pretty much all forest. "Chewie, is the Falcon ready?" 'Yes. But I don't think the stabilizer will hold out much longer.' "Can it get us and the princess and her mother to Dagobah and back?" 'It should.' "It better, or we are in big trouble."  
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Padme asked. "It may be our only chance to find information on the Jedi, after all, Obi- Wan's hut was gutted when we checked it." Leia said. "Besides, I think the Alliance can managed without us for a day or two." "I'm just worried about going to Dagobah. The Executor has been spotted near that area of space." "Mother, the only way we will win is if there is a Jedi in the Alliance. We need to find information on the Jedi to see if we could find any still alive." "But just any Jedi wouldn't be able to beat Ani and Luke. They would have to be almost as strong as those two." "That would mean me, but I can't be a Jedi if there is no one to teach me." "I suppose you are right. But don't expect too much, because I expect Master Yoda to be dead."  
  
Three hours later, they took off from the Endor base, heading for Dagobah. And three days after that, they came out of hyperspace directly above it. "Why would a Jedi master be hanging around here?" Han asked. "It's the back end of nowhere!" Padme smiled. "Exactly, no one would look for him here." "Good point." Han said grudgingly. "Well, unless you happen to know where he landed, we could be searching this mudhole for a very long time." "Northern Hemisphere, on the western edge of the swamp. Be careful, or you'll end up crashing in the swamp."  
  
Luke looked up at the stars from his quarters. The rebel alliance had somehow evaded the Imperial Navy for the past six weeks, and he was starting to wonder if it was possible to find them. He knew something was going to happen that involved the Rebels and Leia, but whatever that something was, he couldn't tell. He sighed and ran his left hand through his dark blond hair. This was taking forever, when it should have been so simple to just reach out and feel for Leia. She either knew how to shield herself, was being shielded by someone, or she just wasn't using the Force at all. The last one was impossible, Luke knew. Everyone used the Force, the variation just being the degree of usage. So she had to be shielded somehow. But was it possible that there was still a Jedi alive? Or could Obi-Wan still be active beyond the grave? Luke didn't know, but he remembered a time nearly five years ago, shortly after he had turned to the Dark Side. *Flashback* Luke sat up as a tingling began making it's way through the room. "Now what?" He muttered. "Hello, Luke." A form slowly took shape near him. "What do you want, old man?" Luke asked. "I merely wanted to explain something." Obi-Wan Kenobi said softly. Luke snorted. "I was wondering how long it'd take. So, what do you want." "To explain why I told you what I did." "There's no explanation needed, Obi-Wan, you lied to me." "No, Luke, I told you the truth, from a certain point of view." "It would have to be a very weird point of view." Luke said sarcastically. "When your father became Darth Vader he destroyed Anakin Skywalker." Luke raised an eyebrow skeptically. "That has to be the weakest explanation I have ever heard." "Luke, don't you understand? Vader is not your father. Your father died twenty years ago." Luke shook his head. "No. My father is alive. Perhaps Anakin Skywalker is dead, but my father is alive." "Luke, if you aren't careful, the same will happen to you. Don't you see that he's leading you into ruin." "Father is showing me the true power of the Force. You kept me from him and this power." Luke glared at the spirit. "Old man, why don't you give up." The specter bowed his head. "Luke, I'm sorry." He said, then disappeared. Luke never saw him again, something for which he was grateful. *Flashback Ends* Luke sighed, and moved to the door. He knew it was possible that Kenobi was still around, but for how long? He left his quarters, to supervise the continued search for the rebel base.  
  
"Well, that was completely useless." Han said as they climbed up and away from Dagobah. "The only thing we learned is to replace a stabilizer before going to a swamp planet." Leia agreed. "Next time, we replace it ahead of time." Han said. "And we won't try to land in the swamp." Padme shook her head as Leia matched Han's joking tone. "I suppose it's too much to ask for you to actually plan ahead next time." "I do not plan ahead unless it comes to smuggling runs." "That explains all the trouble you have when it comes to deliveries." "Well, at least you found that lightsaber, Leia." Padme interjected. Leia looked down at the cylinder attached to her belt. "I suppose so, but I wish we'd found other information." Padme looked up sadly. "I guess there isn't any other Jedi left." Han turned partway around in his seat. "We'll find another Jedi, and we'll do it soon. I plan on seeing the end of the Empire."  
  
Admiral Piett looked up as Lord Skywalker entered the bridge. The young man's eyes flicked up to the admiral and he moved towards the man. "Are there any new leads?" Luke asked. "Yes, my lord." Piett answered. "There has been a report from a probe droid in the Endor system." "When did we receive this report?" "Only a short while ago, and the analysis was just completed. It is very likely a rebel base, and we are headed there." "Very good, Admiral. Is there an estimate on the rebel strength?" "No, my lord." Lord Skywalker nodded and moved away from Piett. The latter watched his superior for a moment. He still did not know the man's secret, how he'd come to such a powerful position so young. He also didn't know why Vader trusted the man so completely. It was odd. Very seldom at do you see a man with such a high position of power who completely trusted his right-hand man. He knew that he would probably never find out, but he was curious. If he remembered correctly, there was man named Skywalker, a Jedi, from the Clone Wars. But this man was too young, and Jedi were enemies of the state. Perhaps Lord Skywalker was related to the Jedi Skywalker.  
  
Luke smiled to himself as he listened to Admiral Piett trying to figure out who he was. *If only you knew, Admiral, if only you knew. * Luke looked up at the stars and wondered. His sister and mother were somewhere in the galaxy, most likely with the rebels at Endor. How long would it be before they were caught? He knew that his secret "time bomb" was nearing the end, it was almost time for it to be activated. He knew it would help bring the princess in, and his mother. *We should have very little difficulty turning Leia after everything has happened. She will be close to despair after the alliance is destroyed. * Luke turned back to the admiral. "Admiral, I want it made clear that the ground troops are to capture the rebels alive, if possible." "Yes, my lord." "I will understand if it is impossible, however, I will not like it." "Understood, my lord." Luke turned back to the stars. It would only be a matter of time before the family was together.  
  
Han jerked up as the ship came out of hyperspace. "How did they find us?" He asked Chewbacca. Leia came running into the cockpit. "What's wrong?" She asked, then she got a good look outside the cockpit. "Oh." "Leia, get your mother and get to the guns. We may have to fight our way out of here." Leia disappeared from the cockpit, but not before getting a parting shot off at him. "Why can't you ever do anything right, Solo?"  
  
Luke suddenly looked out of the bridge viewport. They were here, out in the Millennium Falcon. "My Lord, a ship just came out of hyperspace. Its description matches that of a rebel freighter, the Millennium Falcon." "Capture them. I want all passengers alive."  
  
The time bomb reached the end of its countdown. and activated.  
  
Han stiffened in his seat. Very suddenly, he heard a voice in the back of his mind, telling him what to do. He knew how to get out of this, and how to make things right. But he couldn't let anyone know. "Alright, Chewie, let's bring her around I want to see what we can do to help everyone evacuate." Moving rapidly, Han put all power to the shields. Then he accelerated towards the rapidly approaching TIEs.  
  
Luke looked out the viewport. It had activated. Now, all he had to do was hope that his agent could capture the princess.  
  
Han turned to Chewie. "That last blast just took out the hyperdrive. I'm going back to try and fix it." The wookie nodded, already concentrating on flying the ship. Han left the cockpit for a moment, and headed down to the main drive. He stopped suddenly as a voice seemed to tell him to go back. He turned around and pulled his blaster. He clicked the selector over to stun. Chewie didn't turn around as he entered. 'What is it, Han.' "I'm sorry, buddy." Han said, then fired. The stun bolt tensed his partner up for a second, and then the big wookie went slack. Quickly, Han took the pilot's seat. Very carefully, he cut the gun mounts out of the com circuit. Then he activated a system that trapped the two women in the gun mounts. They couldn't see the force field, but it was there. Finally, he activated the ship to ship com, tuned to an Imperial frequency. "Imperial Star Destroyer, this is Captain Han Solo on board the Millennium Falcon. I surrender. Repeat, I surrender."  
  
The tractor beam set the Millennium Falcon down. Lord Skywalker stood waiting before it. The ramp opened and someone started walking out. While his blaster was still in his holster, his hands weren't anywhere near it. Han came to the bottom of the ramp and saw that Luke was waiting for him. "I see you made a wise choice, Solo." The younger man said. He turned to the stormtrooper nearby. "Escort him to guest quarters." "Yes, my lord." Luke watched his new ally disappear. So his little time delayed brainwashing had worked. Now, the princess would be very upset when she heard what Solo had done. He watched as the stormtroopers dragged three unconscious forms out. She would wake up in a cell, but he would wait until they were at Imperial Center to tell her what Han Solo had done.  
  
Luke entered Leia's cell. "Hello, Leia, it's good to see you." Leia raised an eyebrow. "I wish I could say the same." Luke mimicked her move. "I don't understand why you don't hate me." "What would the point of that be?" Leia asked. Luke knew it was rhetorical. "I know you were a rebel before the battle of Yavin and something happened that genuinely changed your mind. I believe I know what that is, and I don't like it, but I have to accept it." "Oh?" Luke asked. "And what was it that changed my mind?" He was hoping to get a reaction out of her, but he was disappointed. "I expect that the destruction of Mon Calamari was a factor." She said. "It was." Luke said. "Though I was not on the Death Star when it was destroyed." "And I also think that learning that Obi-Wan had lied to you about your father also played a major part." "Don't you mean our father?" Luke asked. Leia closed her eyes. "What do you mean?" She said softly. Luke could tell she was lying, but. "I'll let you figure it out, princess." Leia shivered at Luke's cold tone. "I am no longer a princess, Lord Skywalker. I am merely a rebel leader now." Luke smiled. "No I believe you are a princess, but not just of Alderaan." He turned. "I'll be seeing you again, princess, but before I go, did you build this lightsaber?" He held up the weapon Leia had found on Dagobah. "No I did not." Luke nodded and left. There would be time to turn her later.  
  
Padme knew that something had happened to Solo. She wasn't sure what, but it had something to do with why they had been captured. It also had something to do with Luke, that she knew for sure. She was worried, extremely worried. Did Luke know about his sister? If he did, then hope might be lost. Who was she kidding? Hope was likely lost in any case. If Ani and Luke didn't know about Leia, they would kill her, and that would be the end. If they did know about Leia, they would try to turn her. Padme didn't know what would happen to herself, after all, she was a rebel leader, but she was also the Emperor's wife. Though she really didn't know if she was still married to him. They had never formally divorced, but after nearly twenty-four years apart, and fighting on opposite sides of a war, were they still married? She sighed in regret. Things had become so tangled, yet would she have done anything differently? She knew that she had done all she could to save her family. She shook her head. She wouldn't have changed anything. She knew that she had done what was necessary to free the galaxy. That her attempt had failed was no fault of her own. She knew that eventually things would change. Now, in fact might be her chance to bring her husband and son back. She knew that she was not Force strong enough to worry about using the Dark Side herself, and this might be the only chance she got. She knew what she had to do. She must find some way to bring her family back to the Light Side.  
  
Leia looked up as the door again refused to open. It had been four days since she had verbally sparred with her brother, and no one had been in to see her since. She had been trying to repeat her trick when she opened the door of her other cell, but it just wasn't working. She was also worried that something had happened to the alliance. It annoyed her that she didn't know if the rebellion had survived or not. She knew that Endor was the only base the Alliance had. If it was destroyed, then the rebellion was finished. She wished she knew. Hesitantly, she tried once again. Her fears for the Alliance were not helping her concentrate. If only she had been trained. The door opened, and though she was untrained, she knew that her brother was there. She stood up, preparing to bring the full weight of her royal upbringing to bear. Unfortunately, Luke didn't even look at her. Two stormtroopers came in and bound her hands, then left. Luke gestured for her to come, and began walking down the hall. When she didn't follow, he turned and glared at her. "I'm not going with you." She said. "Princess, you are simply wasting my time and your breath. You will come with me whether you like it or not." Luke moved his hand very slightly, and Leia lurched forward, pulled by some force. It stopped when she was within two feet of Luke. "Now, are you coming peacefully or not?" Leia didn't move for an instant then started walking. They entered a turbolift, and Luke told it to go to the hanger bay. The ride was short and silent. The two of them were both mentally preparing themselves for what was to come. Luke realized it was like a reply of the events that led to his turning, nearly six years ago. It was almost eerie, the similarities. Of course, knowing that they were family, and twins at that, helped account for some of them. But the other similarities. it made him wonder. He mentally shook his head. He didn't need to borrow trouble right now. Hopefully, his sister would be more reasonable then he had been and join with little argument. He shook his head. It wasn't likely. No, Leia was more likely to be even more stubborn then he had been. He'd noticed that she had gotten the more stubborn Skywalker sense, as well as a strong defiant sense. This was definitely going to be difficult.  
  
Leia looked at her brother carefully. She knew that he was planning on turning her, but she didn't see how he would do it. After all, she didn't hate either him of her father. She didn't really care for either of them, but she didn't hate them. She sighed. She supposed that she was in the same predicament Luke had been in after Yavin. She'd had no formal training, and was even more inclined to anger then her brother. She supposed that she had only one chance of coming away from this alive, and it was something she was unwilling to do. She would not use her anger or hate. She promised herself that she would never give in. They entered a small hanger bay, and a pair of stormtroopers came forward. "Take her to the Emperor. And make sure she doesn't escape. "Yes, my Lord." Leia frowned. Why wasn't Luke coming with her? They entered the shuttle and took off. Her last view of her brother was of him watching the shuttle leave.  
  
Luke turned and left the hanger. Leia was on her way down, as was his mother, and he would bring Han Solo down with him. He still didn't think that it was a good idea to send Leia down with only a few stormtroopers guarding her, but his father had said that she wouldn't escape. Luke shook his head. *I wouldn't be surprised if she did find some crazy way to escape- especially if she's anything like I was. * He turned to the guest quarters and entered Han Solo's. "Are you ready, Solo?" He asked. The other man nodded. "Yes." "Good." Luke turned and left the room, Han following.  
  
Leia walked down the hall, and knew that this was the last chance she would get. As she walked, she concentrated on the binders the stormtroopers had placed around her wrists in the shuttle. There was a barely audible click, and they fell off. She spun, grabbed a stunned guard's gun, and shot him in the chest. She turned and hit the other guard. Then, she started running. She made it to the end of the hall when she saw two stormtroopers escorting her mother towards the throne room. Without hesitation, she fired two quick shots. The stormtroopers fell, and her mother jumped. "It's just me." "Leia! How did you escape?" "I may not be trained, but I can use the Force." She said. "Let's get you out of these." Leia searched for the key, and unlocked her mother's binders. Padme grabbed one of the blaster rifles and checked the charge. "Let's go." Leia said.  
  
Han looked up at the sounds. *Blaster fire. * His mind noted. In front of him, Luke had stopped short, and was also looking up. "Blast it!" The Sith said. "I should have known she'd try to escape." Han looked at the younger man in confusion. But Luke took off running, leaving Han and the two stormtroopers escorting them to catch up. Han caught up a few seconds later, as Luke pulled his lightsaber off his belt. Han took that as a cue, and drew his blaster, holding in at the ready. Luke was apparently listening to something Han couldn't hear, because he was moving slowly, with his head cocked to the side. "What's wrong?" Han asked. "Leia. She's escaped." Luke said. "She's that way!" He said, pointing down the hall. He started running down the hall in the direction he'd pointed. Han cursed, then ran to catch up. The blaster fire got closer, and he could see the stormtroopers ahead exchanging fire with at least two individuals. *Probably Leia and her mother. * Han thought. He rounded the corner only a second behind Luke. He knew that Luke was deflecting the bolts, but he realized that he'd just left himself open. As he headed for cover, Luke missed one of the bolts, and it slammed into Han's chest.  
  
Leia saw Han run in behind Luke, his blaster ready. She frowned, had Han switched sides? Then, a stray blaster bolt hit Han and he was pushed back into a nearby wall. She froze. *NO! *  
  
Han felt a fiery heat in his chest, and tried to take a breath. *NO! * In a moment, he was on the ground. *I can't breath! * A second later, he felt the pain. He stiffened and tried to take another breath. Once again, he failed. *I'm sorry. * He thought, to Leia, his love he hoped would join the empire, to Luke, his lord, to Padme, to Chewie. Then, he felt a cool darkness spread throughout his body. He didn't fight it, and everything faded from view.  
  
From behind her, Leia saw blaster fire streaking by. She turned, and began firing at the stormtroopers who had come behind her and Padme. A bolt hit near Padme's cover, exploding it. The next bolt hit Padme in the head. Leia watched in stunned disbelief as her mother fell.  
  
Luke stopped, his lightsaber coming to a halt, as it wasn't needed. He watched in shock as his mother fell. Almost instinctively, he caught her with the Force. Leia watched and looked up from where she was crouched. Her brown eyes met Luke's blue eyes as they each saw shock and horror in their twin's eyes. Then, Leia's eyes hardened in anger. She turned, and in a sudden fit of blind rage, triggered her blaster, taking down most of the stormtroopers behind her.  
  
Emperor Vader stiffened. "Padme." He whispered. The echoing silence seemed to only confirm what he had felt. She was dead.  
  
Leia almost couldn't see for the tears. Her mother, dead. No! It wasn't possible! She didn't see the stormtrooper behind her level his blaster and fire.  
  
Luke stiffened as the stormtrooper fired and hit his sister in the chest. She stumbled back and fell. He caught her and lowered her gently to the ground. Then, he turned to stormtrooper who had fired and without hesitation cut him down in anger. He turned to Leia, who lay on her back. "Leia." He said softly as he knelt beside her. She opened her eyes. "Luke." She whispered. "I understand. Anger. is stronger." She gasped. "You're right." "Leia, we'll get you, Mother, and Solo to a medcenter. Just hang on." She gasped. "It doesn't matter. I can't. I'm." Her muscles relaxed as she closed her eyes. Luke shook his head before calling for medics.  
  
Three weeks later, the door to the throne room opened and two young people stepped out. Both of them walked up the stairs and stopped at the top, kneeling. The throne turned, revealing the Emperor. Behind his mask, Vader smiled. "Rise." He said. He turned to the woman. "My daughter, will you take your place as a Sith and as one of my heirs?" He asked, already knowing the answer. "Yes, father." She said. He turned to his son. "Lord Skywalker, I entrust Lady Organa's training to you." "Yes, Father." The two moved and flanked him, Luke on the right, Leia on the left. The galaxy was now under the Empire's control, and would remain that way for all time.  
  
The End Bit of a downer, isn't it. Well, it is a dark fic, and we can't let it end happily. Sorry if it's a bit abrupt at the end, but I was out of ideas. 


End file.
